Thursday, October 26, 2006

The Mighty Hunter (copied from Wordpress)

I'm claiming temporary insanity. Anyone who has ever been pregnant will definitely agree that I'm definitely qualified. I have 3 months left for this convenient disability and plan to use it for all its worth.

Along with being just plain nuts about some things (unlike before when I was never only occasionally nuts), I'm typically pg emotional. Reading the sweet story Moreena tells of her Annika needing both hands made me cry. She is such a talented word-crafter. Moreena, you Rock!

Guideposts magazine articles about lost pets and LeapPad commercials are the latest Big Meanies to make little ol' me cry.

My ultrasound did it Monday morning. But that's not unusual for crazy pg gals.

Well, you've probably determined that we're having a little boy. Boys have turtle bottoms and girls have hamburger bottoms. At least that's what the sonographer here says they look like. I kinda agree. If you poke yourself in the eye to temporarilyblur your vision and then strain to see the picture on the u/s screen, you'll see a turtle or a hamburger or nothing but a big blobby mess.

The Mighty Hunter is on top of the world.

Before I continue with my description of his excitement over having a SON (hear that in the movie announcer's deep, dramatic voice), let me tell you a little about The Mighty Hunter's fathering of his daughter.

There was The Mighty Hunter. He was exactly as you might imagine someone with that nickname. He's smart. Tall. Handsome. Hard-working. Outdoorsy. Hunter. Fisher. Find-his-way-out-of-the-woods-in-the-dark-blindfolded. Passionate (shh. don't tell him I said that). Loves Auburn football. Hates u of alabama football. Ditto for Tennessee and Florida and all other rivals of Auburn University. Loves Jesus and his family with all his heart.

He was a "guy." Not much more. But a complete and total Guy.

He learned with mixed emotions that Stinkerbell would be a girl. He knew he would be putty in her tiny, little, soft hands. He tried to prepare himself with all he knew about fathering a daughter. Which was Nothing. I mean, he had a younger brother - no sisters. Until me, the only female in his life had been his mom - whom we lost to leukemia when I was 2 months pg.

With my ob, we planned my labor induction for a Saturday morning - inauguration day! We arrived and settled into the L&D suite. It was pretty uneventful till I puked red and purple Jolly Ranchers about 6:30pm. Except for the intense contractions that lasted 3 days before the Blessed Epidural (BBE). He is still scared to be in the room with me BBE this time - chicken!

At 8:something o'clock, Stinkerbell emerged, screaming and squeezing her thumbs between her pointer and middle fingers. It was at this point that The Mighty Hunter forever lost the hard boney quality to his spine. It is now completely and irrevocably comprised of jell-O. He cried (shh. don't tell him I told you.) He commented on her big feet - and they're still big. He stroked her little arms and legs and head and back and belly as we held her for the first time. As they measured her and did all that crap, he stroked and shushed her screams more still. The video camera went with him into the nursery as the nurses gave her her 1st bath. More stroking and shushing. He held her in his arms like she was the very Christ Child. Or the most fragile, tender, precious, beautiful, important egg-shell of a creature he'd ever seen.

He was instantly, completely, unbelievably, wonderfully in love with Stinkerbell.

And still is.

She owns him, and they both know it. Ask her where she keeps her daddy and she'll hold up her little pinky finger.

And she loves him. This Sunday night she said that she had changed her mind and did want to GET a baby when she got older. Not really HAVE a baby, but GET one - scared of needles and understands they're just part and parcel of pg. I told her that she should find herself a good Christian man to marry and GET a baby with him.

"I want to marry Daddy."

"Well, I'm married to him already, so I don't think that will work. But why don't you go tell him that you want to marry him."

She trots down the hall, buck naked from just finishing her bath to tell her Daddy this wonderful announcement. A few minutes later, I bring her panties and pj's to her and I learn that The Mighty Hunter's trying to figure out a way to accomplish this so that there will NEVER be another man in her life that she would EVER want to marry.

It's this kind of sweetness and love and devotion that The Mighty Hunter has for his Daughter (hear that in your head with Celine Dion's voice in a lullaby style).

Now, he's getting his SON (again, the movie announcer voice). He's so very VERY excited. He had admitted to me before the u/s that he really hoped it would be a son and that he would be disappointed if it were a girl.

Before you start the criticisms, keep in mind that we ALL have preferences and he is NOT wrong for having a preference in this. Also remember how very dearly he loves Stinkerbell and don't think for a SECOND that he'd love a 2nd daughter less than this SON. He just wants a Little Mighty Hunter to pal around with and pick on.

I patted him on the arm and told him it would be ok either way.

But now he is getting his SON. And it is wonderful news to him. He's on top of the world. He's thrilled.

But I realized something else. And I've already told you about it. The Mighty Hunter is a different man because he was father to a daughter first. If the SON were first and Stinkerbell the 2nd child, I don't think he'd be The Mighty Hunter as we know him today. There's a tenderness that he has acquired that might not be there if the birth order were reversed.

So, it's great that we're having the SON. And it's actually great that the SON is 2nd after Stinkerbell.

So how is Auburn Gal handling being the mother of the SON? Pretty good. I'm excited too. I had been able to restrain myself from buying anything, thinking that some of Stinkerbell's clothes, etc might be recycled. But last night, I bought the very FIRST things for the SON last night. Wal-Mart had some things on clearance and there were some CUTE little outfits in 3-6 months size - just right for late spring and summer. Stinkerbell was thrilled to help choose the first clothes for the SON.

I can't wait to see his fat little thighs sticking out of those little short legs.